13& 



MANAGEMENT OF SHEEP. 



and the flock should, till fairly dry and fit for sheariug, 

 be kept on heavy grass land, or, what is better, in siraw- 

 bedded folds. 



OOO.) Shearing. After allowing eight days, off' or 

 on, to elapse from the time of washing, so as to permit 

 the wool to gain a fresh supply of yolk, and along 

 with it lustre and elasticity, the sheep may be stripped 

 of its fleece. As there is no saving in employing an 

 unskilful clipper, every encouragement should be given 

 to induce servants to cut close, smoothly and evenly, and 

 to avoid injuring the skin, or going twice over the 

 same part. There are two ways in this country of 

 depriving sheep of their wool. In the first, or coarser 

 method, which is only adopted in the case of Cheviot 

 and heath sheep, the operator sits upon the ground, 

 and placing the animal on its back between his knees, 

 shears the wool first from the belly and legs, and then, 

 after tying the latter, proceeds to clear the back. In 

 the second method, the legs are never tied, as the dis- 

 position of the sheep is such as to render it unnecessary. 

 The animal is placed as in Fig. 2, Plate V., and the 

 shearer clips first one side, cutting from the middle of 

 the belly to that of the back, down to the loins. It is 

 then placed on its side, as in Fig. 3, Plate V., the knee 

 of the operator pressing on its neck, and the wool is 

 removed from the legs and buttocks. The fleece is 

 next rolled up, with the cut side outwards, commencing 

 at the tail, and using the wool of the other extremity as 

 a fastening for the bundle. 



A cool dry apartment should be selected in which to 

 store the wool, always remembering that heat and 

 damp are equally injurious to it, and that the greater 



